Solvay to expand compounding capacity for specialty polymers in China

11-Oct-10

Solvay has announced an investment of €21 mln in a new capacity to satisfy surging demand in China, in a specialty polymers compounding plant at its site in Changshu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The compounding plant will serve the fast growing markets in China for electronics, automotive, consumer and industrial applications and will initially start producing compounds of Amodel® polyphthalamide (PPA), Ixef® polyarylamide (PARA) and Kalix® (modified PARA). The facility will be fully adaptable for future expansion for both overall capacity and for other high performance and fluorinated polymers. More information about these three polymers and their applications is available on the next page in the notes to the editors. "Our high-end specialty polymers are used in an increasing number of applications in this very dynamic region of the world. We are looking forward providing additional supply flexibility by compounding in closer proximity to our expanding customer base and providing them with more plastics with more performance," says George Corbin, Senior Executive Vice-President of Solvay Group and President of Solvay Advanced Polymers, one of the entities of Solvay's Specialty Polymers Strategic Business Unit. "This investment clearly illustrates Solvay's strategy to enlarge its industrial base in fast moving markets such as China. Sales of Specialty Polymers in Asia were above 25% of total sales in the first half of this year and we see a growing trend," adds Augusto di Donfrancesco, General Manager of the Strategic Business Unit Specialty Polymers.